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GeneralSkruf1's avatar
GeneralSkruf1
Rising Rookie
2 months ago
Solved

BF2042 - Failed to launch game - and further problems with EA app/licensing

I've been struggling since 19.08.25 getting the game to launch. Seems like it happened after BF6 Open Beta, which worked just fine. I have reinstalled 4 times, repaired every possible file, updated, cleared all types of cashe, both EA and Temp files. I have tested 3 different Nvidia drivers (im at 577.00 atm). I have done multiple Clean/safe boots over the past days with different and all services disabled and so on. I have tried new Windows Admin user, and upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 with no luck.

I've spoken to 6 different EA help supports going thru their manuals time after time, nothing seems to work. I even baught a new copy thru Steam, that didnt work either. All kinds of firewall settings have been tested, i even verified every possible EA sertificate and signatures of the executables. 

After 20 hours of trying to resolve this, I figured I'll buy an EA Play subscribtion, to download any other game that uses Javelin Anticheat. By doing so, suddenly my other games licenses became invalid. So now Battlefield 3 / 4 doesnt launch either. I have deleted the %ProgramData%\*\License files, trying to renew them, that doesnt work either. 

Now i'm stuck with all these problems, and EA support-chat can't resolve or help anymore, they allways replies; wait another 24 hour to see if it works. I'm tired of waiting. Any clues out there please? I feel like i've tried everything, even advanced options, but I may have missed a simple try?

(Impossible to run ProcMon.exe/ProcExp.exe due to Anticheat for further investigation)

I've included complete DxDiag from Win10 (20.08.25) and Win11 (23.08.25)

anticheat
bug
crashing
launching
pc
  • GeneralSkruf1's avatar
    GeneralSkruf1
    2 months ago

    It's been over 30 hours of troubleshooting, reading forums, asking AI and so on.. Turned out to be quite a rare fault that even reinstalling windows did't fix, even though its in the "%WinDir%\System32\Drivers\Etc". Windows keeps installing the "hosts"-file dating 2019. Every Windows installments probably has the same file/date. It did not look corrupted running the SFC command, but

    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

     made some corrections. I never got any error message leading here, but i stumbled across this thread, that suddenly made BF2042 launch again, and also BF3 / BF4 not having the invalid licenses anymore.

    Probable cause: Not having system updated IP/contact with EA servers. All the games running Javelin Anticheat (e.g. FC25, BF2042, WRC, F1) usually never returned any error messages. Only a few times they said "Could not launch the game due to an error on our part", every other game provided this error:

     

    EA_Shepard​   [Resolved] EA app Error Code EC:204

     

    • EA App's Cache (Top Left Menu > Help > App Recovery)
    • EA App - Repair (My Collection > Tile Dots > Repair)
    • Run the System File Checker tool
    • Change UAC Controls within Windows
    • Reset Windows Host File
    • Unplug your modem/router for 5 minutes and attempt to launch again

19 Replies

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  • GeneralSkruf1's avatar
    GeneralSkruf1
    Rising Rookie
    2 months ago

    I now went from BIOS F.17 (2022) to the latest F.24 (2025), repaired the game files and repaired EA Anticheat, still no launch, only Splash Screen Javelin launcher. The game tries to launch, but uses only about 300Mb of memory, and 0% CPU, just like before. Similar to other EA Javelin supported games like F1 or WRC, they won't launch either.. (FYI, my motherboard came with Secure Boot enabled by factory default, so i didnt touch anything to play BF6OB)

    I will now try Magic_Stick69​ suggestion. Using my EA account on a friends computer. I'll let you know.

  • GeneralSkruf1's avatar
    GeneralSkruf1
    Rising Rookie
    2 months ago

    I can confirm that BF2042 runs just fine on another computer with my EA/Steam account. However BF4 does not. Still some invalid lisence following: "The app couldn't read the game's license file, so we suggest relaunching the game in online mode. If the problem continues, try clearing your cache."

    Any possible fix? Are you working on this at EA? EA_AgentX​ 

  • dedbro's avatar
    dedbro
    Rising Novice
    2 months ago

    Hello everyone,

    I'm writting this to let everyone know how i defeted this monster.

    I've seen and tried every possible thing i've seen on this forum. From "clear cache" to even a BIOS update. I've seen it and tried it all trust me. Then, i come across a video on Youtube about Windows update of recent that is causing trouble for SSD/HDD drives. I was like wait a second, could it be.

    To get to the point, i've went and unistalled the latest Windows update from the time i started getting this error, and now i am can say that i have won this battle.

    For those who are not that much into PC-s: Go to: settings-windows update-update history-unistall updates. After that fin your update that matches the date when error happend and unistall it (Before you do this pause auto windows update for a week).

    I hope this will help everyone with this problem. I will try to answer comments as much as i can if this becomes seen as much.

    Cheers.

  • GeneralSkruf1's avatar
    GeneralSkruf1
    Rising Rookie
    2 months ago

    I have tried formating computer, reinstalling windows. I have tried Windows 10 and Windows 11, didn't work on either platform. This gaming computer is only 3 years old... 

    How am I able to reroll windows update past a fresh installation? The problem was noticed 19.08.25, was gonna launch after trying BF6 Open Beta and connected my EA accout to Steam account. Could that be some issue?🤔

  • GeneralSkruf1's avatar
    GeneralSkruf1
    Rising Rookie
    2 months ago

    It's been over 30 hours of troubleshooting, reading forums, asking AI and so on.. Turned out to be quite a rare fault that even reinstalling windows did't fix, even though its in the "%WinDir%\System32\Drivers\Etc". Windows keeps installing the "hosts"-file dating 2019. Every Windows installments probably has the same file/date. It did not look corrupted running the SFC command, but

    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

     made some corrections. I never got any error message leading here, but i stumbled across this thread, that suddenly made BF2042 launch again, and also BF3 / BF4 not having the invalid licenses anymore.

    Probable cause: Not having system updated IP/contact with EA servers. All the games running Javelin Anticheat (e.g. FC25, BF2042, WRC, F1) usually never returned any error messages. Only a few times they said "Could not launch the game due to an error on our part", every other game provided this error:

     

    EA_Shepard​   [Resolved] EA app Error Code EC:204

     

    • EA App's Cache (Top Left Menu > Help > App Recovery)
    • EA App - Repair (My Collection > Tile Dots > Repair)
    • Run the System File Checker tool
    • Change UAC Controls within Windows
    • Reset Windows Host File
    • Unplug your modem/router for 5 minutes and attempt to launch again
  • Four_20_IQ's avatar
    Four_20_IQ
    Rising Newcomer
    2 months ago

    Yup! Same thing for me! EA reps aren’t any help at all. Just telling me to try same things I’ve already tried. Nothing is fixed and yet they mark the issue “solved” LOL. What a joke. Only thing left to try for me is updating bios. But after all this running around I’m not even gunna try anymore…forget it!
    I shouldn’t have to, NO ONE should have to jump through hoops to play a game they paid for. Absolutely absurd SMDH

  • Wvxta's avatar
    Wvxta
    Seasoned Newcomer
    2 months ago

    Having played 2042 almost every day since the BF6 beta, I decided to take a two day break from the game. I try opening it last evening and encounter this issue. I followed every step from EA_Shepard​ above this morning and 2042 still does not launch. What is wrong with this game and why was the issue marked as "SOLVED" when clearly this is NOT the solution?

  • GeneralSkruf1's avatar
    GeneralSkruf1
    Rising Rookie
    25 days ago

    Yes. I didn't even have the listed error code. But it worked some how

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